ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Timber Rattlers defeated the Dayton Dragons 5-4 in 11 innings. Derrick McPhearson had a pair of hits, drove in a run, and scored a pair of runs, including the game winner in the bottom of the eleventh inning.
MULTI-BALL: Last night was the first career multi-hit game for McPhearson. He RBI double in the second inning snapped a 1-1 tie. McPhearson started the game-winning rally in the eleventh with an infield single.
MWL DEBUT: Rattlers starting pitcher RJ Seidel left the game after 4-1/3 innings after reaching his 85 pitch limit. Seidel, in his Timber Rattlers debut, allowed one run on five hits and struck out seven while walking one and throwing two wild pitches. The only run he allowed was a two-out solo homer by Tony Brown in the second inning.
BUILDING A LEAD: Wisconsin was up 2-1 after the McPhearson double. An RBI single by Juan Sanchez later in the second inning scored McPhearson. In the fourth, Pete Fatse tripled to drive in a run for a 4-1 lead.
COMEBACK: Dayton scored a pair of runs in the sixth inning to get to within 4-3.
QUIET TIME: After Corey Kemp doubled to start the bottom of the seventh inning, Dayton pitchers retired the next 13 Wisconsin hitters they faced.
ONE OUT AWAY: Byron Wiley’s two out RBI single off Brandon Ritchie knocked in the tying run and sent the game to extra-innings. That was the first blown save for Ritchie in three opportunities this season.
EJECT! EJECT! Brown was ejected after arguing a called third strike in the eighth inning. Dragon outfielder Kevyn Feiner was ejected in the top of the 11th after being called out at second trying to stretch a single into a double.
THE GAME WINNER: After McPhearson reached on his one out single in the bottom of the 11th, Juan Sanchez dropped a bunt down the third base line. Dayton pitcher Mark James fielded the ball, but threw ildly to first. McPhearson came all the around to score the winning run.
GOING THE EXTRA MILE: Wisconsin is 3-1 in extra innings, including a 2-1 record at Time Warner Cable Field.
STATUS REPORT: The Rattlers have played 26 games and there are 44 left to play in the second half. Wisconsin holds a 1.5 game lead over the Peoria Chiefs for the top Western Division playoff spot in the second half. The Rattlers are two games up on Beloit, Burlington, Clinton, and Quad Cities for the Western Division Wild Card.
A NOTE ABOUT ATTENDANCE: The Rattlers played in front of a home crowd of 5,240 last night. That crowd was the fifth time Wisconsin has drawn more that 5,000 fans to a game at Time Warner Cable Field. In 2008, the Rattlers drew five crowds of 5,000+ at home, but all of those crowds were drawn after July 24.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Peoria Chiefs are the Midwest League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They missed the playoffs in the first half of the season with a 38-31 record. So far in the second half, the Chiefs are 12-15. They hold the second half wild card spot in the Western Division and trail the Rattlers by 1.5 games for the top second half playoff spot. Their lead over Beloit, Burlington, Clinton, and Quad Cities for the wild card is ½ game. They are on a two-game winning streak after winning the final two games of their three game set with Lansing at O’Brien Field.
SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers lead the season series 7-1. The Rattlers swept a four game series in the first half of the season with three wins at Time Warner Cable Field and one win at Miller Park. The Rattlers took three out of four from the Chiefs at Time Warner Cable Field to open the second half of the season.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .241 as a team. They have scored 394 runs (4.1/game) and hit 46 home runs. The Chiefs are hitting .269 as a team. They have scored 428 runs (4.5/game) and hit 71 homers. Wisconsin pitchers have a team ERA of 4.15 while allowing a total of 465 runs (4.8/game). Peoria pitchers have a team ERA of 3.80 while allowing 412 runs (4.3/game). The Timber Rattler defense has committed 116 errors. The Chiefs defense has committed 116 errors. Wisconsin is 16-27 in road games this season. Peoria is 32-16 at home this season.
PROSPECTING: Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook listed two current members of the Chiefs roster on their list of top 30 prospects. Shortstop Ryan Flaherty is rated as the #8 prospect in the Cubs organization. Junior Lake is ranked at #14 by BA. The Chiefs previously had #1 prospect Josh Vitters and #18 prospect Chris Carpenter on their roster, but they have since been promoted.
OUT OF THE DRAFT 2009: The Cubs have placed one member of their 2009 draft class on the current Peoria roster. DJ Fitzgerald was a 22nd round pick of the Cubs in June out of Dyersville State Community College in Tennessee.
ALL-STARS: Vitters was the starting shortstop and Josh Harrison was the starting designated hitter for the Eastern Division in the 2009 Midwest League All-Star Game. Both have since been promoted. Kyler Burke was a starting outfielder for the East. Pitchers Chris Carpenter and Ryan Butcher have were both on the East Division team and Carpenter has been moved up in the Chicago system.
FAMILIAR FACE: Austin Bibens-Dirkx is Sunday’s scheduled starting pitcher for the Chiefs. He pitched for the Timber Rattlers in 2006, appeared in 25 games as a reliever, and went 2-2 with four saves and an ERA of 1.95. He had pitched in the Golden Baseball League this season after being released by the Seattle Mariners. The Chiefs signed him earlier this half.
PEORIA STARTING PITCHER: RHP Jeff Beliveau was an 18th round pick of the Chicago Cubs in the 2008 draft out of Florida Atlantic University. He pitched his first two years of college baseball at the College of Charleston before transferring to FAU for the 2008 season. In his final season at FAU, Beliveau was 5-4 with a 4.58ERA in 25 games (24 starts). Beliveau pitched for the Arizona League affiliate of the Cubs and the Boise Hawks of the Northwest League after signing with Chicago. He is 4-3 with two saves and a 3.84ERA in 19 games (six starts) for the Chiefs this season. In his start prior to this evening, Beliveau gave up five runs on four hits and three walks over 4-1/3 innings at Clinton on July 19. He was not involved in the decision. Beliveau has appeared against the Rattlers twice this season – both in relief. He is 1-0 and has allowed two runs on three hits with four walks and nine strikeouts over five innings.
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